The present invention relates to shipping and transportation of goods and more particularly to remotely monitorable shipping containers.
The following U.S. Patents are believed to represent the current state of the art:
4,750,197, 5,056,837; 5,097,253; 5,127,687; 5,169,188; 5,189,396; 5,406,263; 5,421,177; 5,587,702; 5,656,996 and 6,069,563.
The present invention seeks to provide an improved remotely monitorable shipping container.
There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a remotely monitorable shipping container including a shipping container body having associated therewith at least one door and at least one door latch having a latch locking element arranged for locking engagement with a door mounted locking element, at least one wireless communicator mounted in a secure location within the shipping container and being operative to wirelessly transmit information to a remote monitor regarding the status of an electronic seal mounted onto the locking element for confirming locking of the at least one door, and at least one wireless antenna mounted within a protected enclosure on the outside of the shipping container for transmitting the information from the at least one wireless communicator.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the at least one wireless communicator includes a transceiver. Preferably, the latch locking element includes a tamper-resistant remotely monitorable electronic seal including a shaft portion, a socket arranged to engage the shaft portion in a monitorable manner, whereby disengagement of the socket and the shaft portion results in a monitorable event, and a wireless communicator associated with at least one of the shaft portion and the socket and being operative to provide a remotely monitorable indication of the monitorable event.
In accordance with another preferred embodiment, the remotely monitorable shipping container also includes at least one sensor operative to sense at least one condition within the shipping container and wherein the at least one wireless transmitter and the at least one wireless antenna are operative to wirelessly transmit information regarding an output of the at least one sensor to a remote monitor. Preferably, the at least one sensor senses at least one of motion, carbon dioxide, infrared emissions and temperature. Additionally, the at least one wireless communicator also transmits information regarding the status of the cargo, which is placed in the shippings container body.
In accordance with yet another preferred embodiment, the remotely monitorable shipping container also includes at least one GPS antenna for receiving signals relating to location of the shipping container and location reporting circuitry responsive to an output from the at least one GPS antenna for providing information to the at least one wireless communicator indicating location of the shipping container. Preferably, the at least one wireless communicator includes at least one RF transmitter. Additionally, the at least one wireless communicator includes at least one long range transmitter. Preferably, the at least one wireless communicator includes a transmitter communicating via at least one of cellular, radio and satellite communication networks.
There is also provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a shipping container communications system which includes a remotely monitorable shipping container including a shipping container body having associated therewith at least one door and at least one door latch having a latch locking element arranged for locking engagement with a door mounted locking element, at least one wireless communicator mounted in a secure location within the shipping container and being operative to wirelessly transmit information to a remote monitor regarding the status of an electronic seal mounted onto the locking element for confirming locking of the at least one door, and at least one wireless antenna mounted within a protected enclosure on the outside of the shipping container for transmitting the information from the at least one wireless communicator. The shipping container communications system also includes at least one remote communicator communicating with the at least one wireless communicator. Preferably, the at least one wireless communicator includes at least one transceiver, communicating with the at least one remote communicator. Additionally, the at least one remote communicator includes at least one of a presence sensor and communicator, a remote monitor, and an electronic seal.